The Penny was a planned free alternative newspaper for London, based on the model of New York’s Village Voice and other North American alternative weeklies. The paper’s initial launch team including publisher Savannah Christensen and editor Mike Wendling produced a pilot issue in March 2006. The pilot issue featured an in-depth profile written by Wendling of George Galloway, then MP for Bethnal Green and Bow. Another issue with a print run in excess of 100,000 was released in August of the same year. The cover story was a feature on innovative climate change initiatives in London, and was written by freelancer Tom Burgis.
Problems securing funding and advertising in the wake of the launch two daily freesheets (the Associated Newspapers’ London Lite and News International’s thelondonpaper) meant that the paper ceased publication shortly after the second issue. After the paper closed, Wendling worked for BBC Radio, while Christensen founded the London-based social networking website FridayCities.com.